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Would you still rescue if....

William

Wise Old Thumper
Would you still rescue buns if it were more difficult, like it is here? Like if you really had to research to find a reputable rescue and then had to drive a long way because you probably couldn't set up a bunny run. But then how would it be a good rescue if they didn't homecheck (if you drove a long way, they wouldn't be able to homecheck you)?

Then there's the fact that rescues over here apparently don't bond buns for people (I've never heard of it) so if the bun you drive a long way to get turns out to not work with your bun then you're back at square one.

They're the 3rd most popular pet here and apparently there's many thousands of homeless buns but it's so spread out here that it makes it different from the UK in my mind :? I guess because you don't see places overfilling with buns, they're maybe on the other side of the country and you just don't hear about it.

I'm just curious what peoples opinions are. I don't see anything wrong with getting bunnies from free ads and reputable breeders, although I wouldn't refuse to go to a rescue if there was a good one nearby.

There aren't any bun rescues for at least a couple hundred miles around me AFAIK but even if there were I don't know how you'd be able to tell if it's reputable. Even if they vet check each bun how do you know if the vet really is rabbit savvy and is checking teeth? I'd be worried about health problems mostly, it seems like a lot of rescue buns have health problems. And it's no surprise considering a lot of people don't even know to feed hay. That's one reason I feel more comfortable with breeders, they know the genetic background and have been feeding theirs the right diet.
 
There are a few resuces/bonders/good vets that I've heard of on my other forum, William, but they are all in California. And I do recall there was a bunny that was transported across the country of all things, for someone by one of our members, but sadly he's no longer on the board. :(
I'm sure there are others if you look for them. But yes, they are few and far between and I think, just as an aside on our disposable society, that people here are even more of the idea that a rabbit is expendable (or a dog or cat) if something better comes along. Education here is really necessary, but not many have the attention span for it. :(

At one time, during my first few years with Mimzy, OH was thinking of helping me set up a rescue. But the sheer cost of it and the lack of individuals who could be counted upon to assist with it were too much for us, especially with all the extra needs we'd have for this climate. We had to be realistic in acknowledging that it would break us. It doesn't make me feel any less fervent to the cause, but one has to consider one's resources because you're not doing an animal any favors taking it on if you don't have the finances or the medical team or the personal strength to do the job.

This is why I'm in awe of the setups here in the UK. These people do amazing work. They have my respect.

I realize this doesn't really answer your question but it did bring to mind some of the points I listed. :D
 
I don't know, I've always got the impression that rabbits are seen as less disposable over here. They're seen as house pets, people eating rabbit meat is rare and i've never heard people make rude remarks/jokes about them.

I'd like to have a general animal rescue one day if I have the funds but then the emotional toll is scary:shock:

There's some good vets around here, Florida actually has some of the best exotic vets in the country, but yeah we seem to be lacking in bun rescues. or at least the northeast fl coast area is, no idea about other areas.

There's shelters of course so I guess that's always an option, and I think there's a good bun rescue in Gainesville, but that's over 1 1/2 hrs away. Although I think they sometimes travel with rabbits from Petsmart to Petsmart along the coast. I still worry about the health issues though :? I suppose there's never any guarantee no matter where you get a bun from though...
 
. I would not go to a breeder/shop because I don't think rabbits should be bred to be pets. The last time I got a rabbit I was having trouble bonding with my female bun. Eventually I found a rescue 200 miles away who were willing to bond for me. This involved 2 trips over 2 weekends. In relation to he home check I had to provide photos of my setup and give details off how much exercise the buns would get.. If we weren't both working and couldn't have afforded to do this I guess if feisty bun refused to bond with another bun we might have had to take her indoors as a single bun.

when I got my guinea pigs they were from a friend of a friend who had got them on impulse from a pet shop and was going to rehome on Gumtree free to good home. She didnt ask me to provide details of how I would keep them just seemed grateful to have them taken off her hands. They lived in a small cage Now they have free range space of 12' x 3' although jack also thinks the kitchen is his personal space and often wanders in there and now has a little fleece in the corner of the kitchen as well for his comfort :lol:. I still consider them rescued piggies.
 
I don't quite understand the logic, you don't think a rescue is good and wouldn't use it because it can't home check, but would quite happily get off a free ads or breeder- neither of whom would home check either or in many cases take a rabbit back if it didn't work.

I also don't get this idea that all rescue rabbits have health issues, maybe it's the fact that rescues show how neglect many are when they come in, but it doesn't mean they will have long term issues. Many rabbits are young when handed over because people get fed up with them in the first year or so, many sanctuary rabbits live to be 10 years old, it often comes down to the care you give them rather than the past they have had.
 
I drove myself an almost 4hr round trip twice to adopt Dandy and Beano, (from the RSPCA) the first time was to meet them, then I was home checked by someone from local branch, then another 4hr round trip to collect them. They are well worth it and I'd do it all over again if I had to, they mean so much to me :love: they were scared and very wild when I got them, now they are still comic characters, but have settled down and are very brave, in fact Dandy is top bun in my quad now :thumb:

they were dumped at a motorway services as babies with their 3 other siblings, all of whom were adopted way before them, they were about 8 months old when I got them. Sadly I think if I hadn't adopted them they would have been in rescue for a lot longer, as they are agouti and agouti and white, which I love, but a lot of people (probably most?) don't, and also with them being so wild and nervous people were overlooking them :cry:
 
I travelled 5 hours there and 7 back to get Annabella. She seemed to be the best fit for my circumstances and rescue was a good one, so I went for it.

The rescue didn't have anyone that could home check in person in my area, but I was sent an extensive questionnaire and asked to provide pictures and the details of my vet. I was also in contact with the rescue for a couple of months, getting advice on who would be the right bun, so they knew I was genuine and wasn't doing it on a whim. To be honest, a home-check, whilst ideal, could be faked anyway, so it's no 100% guarantee of a good home. If the rescue has to do one with pictures , then it doesn't make them a bad rescue, as I'm sure they would do one if you were closer.

I'd go to the one which is 1.5 hours away, that's not far at all. And you can bond at home, and if it doesn't work out you can always go back to the rescue to try another, which you couldn't do if you bought from a breeder/free-ads. I had the option of help with bonding but I turned it down on vet advice, as Barney had snuffles, which is worsened by stress, so I bonded slowly at home.

The thing about rescue buns is that, if they do have health problems due to neglect, the rescue will let you know and be able to tell you what care they'll need - you go in with your eyes open. With a breeder or free-ads they may not know and likely wouldn't want to tell you about health problems, as they are trying to get rid/sell them. Annabella was born in rescue, her mum came in pregnant, and she is healthiest little animal I know.
 
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The bulk of stuff I knew about rescuing I learnt from people in the US- so I'm not sure what this thread is about because there are oodles of bunnies looking for homes, there is Bunderground Rail set up to help, some of which do bonding and bunny dates (learnt about all that from the US too), there are people all over the country who are trying and fighting for those rabbits. It was as a result of them I got involved in the RSPCA.

If something really matters, even if it's really hard, then it's worth doing.
 
I know what you mean but there is no perfect way. I doubt whether all breeders feed the correct diet and I doubt whether they keep their rabbits clean, every day. I take rabbits off people who no longer want them, I don't expect others to want them as people want baby rabbits mainly for their children, they don't want older rabbits. I wouldn't try to rehome aanyway as the chances of finding a very good home are slim round here).

I have taken rabbits off people who have travelled a few hundred miles to get a specific breed (babies) and 9 months or a year down the line they are advertising them with excuses like she doesn't get on with one of my dogs, or we are getting another dog instead. It must have cost them over £200 to go and fetch them back home.

There are good owners, good rescues, good sanctuaries and to be fair, good breeders. The breeders just don't understand the situation, or don't want to. But then without breeders there would be a shortage of rabbits. I know there are a lot of unplanned babies but probably not enough to cover demand.

I think that at the end of the day each one of us should try to do the best we can.
 
If there genuinely wasn't a rescue, I would not go to a shop or breeder, I would rescue one myself, there must be thousands of people wanting to 'get rid' of their rabbits all over the place even if there isn't a specific rescue nearby to take them. Not all of them will be in poor health or neglected, some may have been perfectly loved and cared for but circumstances mean they can no longer be kept.

Arguably doing a private rescue does increase the risk somewhat because you aren't always really sure what you're taking on, but having said that, look how many people go on to have problems with breeder/shop bunnies either straight away or in the longer term.

Yes, you'd have to sort the neuter and do bonding yourself with the risk it doesn't work, but then that would be the same if you went to a breeder too.
 
If there genuinely wasn't a rescue, I would not go to a shop or breeder, I would rescue one myself, there must be thousands of people wanting to 'get rid' of their rabbits all over the place even if there isn't a specific rescue nearby to take them. Not all of them will be in poor health or neglected, some may have been perfectly loved and cared for but circumstances mean they can no longer be kept.

Arguably doing a private rescue does increase the risk somewhat because you aren't always really sure what you're taking on, but having said that, look how many people go on to have problems with breeder/shop bunnies either straight away or in the longer term.

Yes, you'd have to sort the neuter and do bonding yourself with the risk it doesn't work, but then that would be the same if you went to a breeder too.

This ^^^ buying from a pet shop or breeder is just wrong IMO end of. Even specific breeds come up in rescue you just have to be patient and not selfish by going out to buy. The purry alien complete with papers currently sat on my keyboard is proof of that
 
Wow that's cool how far some of you have gone to get rescue buns! that's not an option for me in the near future but I might someday :)

Just to clarify, I wouldn't ever go to shops or BYB. I'm totally against those. I'll just continue with free ad buns, and maybe a reputable breeder if there's one nearby. Or maybe a shelter.

I don't quite understand the logic, you don't think a rescue is good and wouldn't use it because it can't home check, but would quite happily get off a free ads or breeder- neither of whom would home check either or in many cases take a rabbit back if it didn't work.

I also don't get this idea that all rescue rabbits have health issues, maybe it's the fact that rescues show how neglect many are when they come in, but it doesn't mean they will have long term issues. Many rabbits are young when handed over because people get fed up with them in the first year or so, many sanctuary rabbits live to be 10 years old, it often comes down to the care you give them rather than the past they have had.

No... The homecheck question was a genuine question - a lot of people on here say a rescue isn't good if it doesn't homecheck :? So was kinda confused. As long as the rescue really was reputable I wouldn't care about homechecks at all.

Yeah see I didn't know whether that was the case with the health issues or not... I'm thinking about dental problems mainly. I guess a lot of the time dental problems can be corrected once they're put on the proper diet. Just a bit paranoid about it I guess. I've had a lot of good luck health wise with buns in my life that have come from different situations, but I've never gotten a rescue bun, and all mine were babies when I got them so weren't fed a bad diet for long. I know rescues have babies too though.

I didn't know any of that Sky-O (I guess because I don't go on US based bun forums much)- I'm glad the US does do a lot to help homeless buns!
 
When I adopted Farore I didn't get a home check, I talked to the fosterer, I sent photos of my set up to the rescue and I spent over an hour on the phone to the rescue discussing the needs of the bun. I think that is perfectly acceptable, I have previously had a home visit for Poppy and in fact am expecting one later today as I have fallen in love with a dog!

I would always try my hardest to get a pet from an actual rescue, yes free ad pets often are not in the best situations and rescue animals are safe, but if I can empty a space in a rescue then maybe they will then be able to use that space for a neglected or abused animal. Rescues do such wonderful work I would always want to support them.
 
Yeah I've noticed that :? I think you do but just call them all rescues?

The difference is shelters usually are funded by local government and they usually pts where rescues wouldn't because they don't have the funds or space because they never turn an animal away. There are no kill shelters though that only pts if the animal is suffering or (usually just with dogs) too aggressive to adopt out. Some no kill shelters are better than others though, many adoptable dogs are pts I've heard for failing aggression tests. Also lost pets and animals taken by Animal Control go to shelters.
 
William, what's the difference between a shelter and a rescue?

We don't have 'shelters' here.

A shelter (often called "the pound') is a place where all stray and unwanted animals wind up. Dog, cats, rabbits, g pigs, etc. Usually they have a limited time of life once they end up there. Although our city shelter has recently taken up with our local pet store chain to try and adopt out animals on special weekends viewings at the store.

It's really not a nice place to be. :( If there weren't such a lot of homeless/unwanted animals they might be able to go no kill, but there are just so very many. :cry:
 
There are lots of pounds here, ours is called the Dog and Cat's home where the dog wardens and police drop off strays. Most have a kill policy and PTS after a certain period of time. One dog in 80 mins is PTS in this country at these 'shelters'!
 
Would you still rescue buns if it were more difficult, like it is here? Like if you really had to research to find a reputable rescue and then had to drive a long way because you probably couldn't set up a bunny run. But then how would it be a good rescue if they didn't homecheck (if you drove a long way, they wouldn't be able to homecheck you)?

Then there's the fact that rescues over here apparently don't bond buns for people (I've never heard of it) so if the bun you drive a long way to get turns out to not work with your bun then you're back at square one.
They're the 3rd most popular pet here and apparently there's many thousands of homeless buns but it's so spread out here that it makes it different from the UK in my mind :? I guess because you don't see places overfilling with buns, they're maybe on the other side of the country and you just don't hear about it.

I'm just curious what peoples opinions are. I don't see anything wrong with getting bunnies from free ads and reputable breeders, although I wouldn't refuse to go to a rescue if there was a good one nearby.

There aren't any bun rescues for at least a couple hundred miles around me AFAIK but even if there were I don't know how you'd be able to tell if it's reputable. Even if they vet check each bun how do you know if the vet really is rabbit savvy and is checking teeth? I'd be worried about health problems mostly, it seems like a lot of rescue buns have health problems. And it's no surprise considering a lot of people don't even know to feed hay. That's one reason I feel more comfortable with breeders, they know the genetic background and have been feeding theirs the right diet.

But what happens if the bun you get from the pet shop/ elsewhere doesnt work out??? No going back there... Rescues will always take buns back if a bond fails... As for bonding,pet shops etc dont do that either, so I dont quite get that point :?
 
A shelter (often called "the pound') is a place where all stray and unwanted animals wind up. Dog, cats, rabbits, g pigs, etc. Usually they have a limited time of life once they end up there. Although our city shelter has recently taken up with our local pet store chain to try and adopt out animals on special weekends viewings at the store.

It's really not a nice place to be. :( If there weren't such a lot of homeless/unwanted animals they might be able to go no kill, but there are just so very many. :cry:

We do have dog pounds :( the rescue I was looking at before takes all it's dogs (almost all) from the pound. The local dog warden collects the strays and they go to the pound, if they are not claimed within 7 days it's death row :( they do their best to get the dogs rescue space but there are only so many spaces available :(
 
But what happens if the bun you get from the pet shop/ elsewhere doesnt work out??? No going back there... Rescues will always take buns back if a bond fails... As for bonding,pet shops etc dont do that either, so I dont quite get that point :?

Why are people mentioning pet shops? I really find that quite insulting. I never mentioned a pet shop period. I mentioned free ads and reputable breeders.

I'd just keep the bun - I can't really think of a situation where it wouldn't work out.

The bonding was mentioned because I see it mentioned on here a lot that rescues will bond buns for you so I wanted to point out that that was a difference here in my area.
 
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